It is generally known that golf balls exhibit diminished performance under cold temperature playing conditions. It is also known that ball performance can be improved for cold weather play by artificially warming the balls to a temperature of about 90.degree. to 120.degree. F.
Golfers have previously attempted to artificially improve cold weather ball performance by warming the balls in a low temperature oven, by soaking them in hot water, by storing them in a pocket or other warm location, and by a variety of other rudimentary techniques. However, such improvisational methods are generally inconvenient, inefficient and unpredictable in their results.
Consequently, numerous devices have been developed for artificially warming golf balls to improve their performance for cold weather golf play. Almost all of these devices utilize a non self-contained, electrical resistance heating element coupled to an insulated warming chamber to warm the balls before a round of golf play commences. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,155,002, 4,967,062 and 5,057,670, issued to Cohen each disclose an elongated container having a cylindrical, insulated ball warming chamber and an electrical resistance heating element enclosed within the container or warming chamber for warming the balls. To operate these devices, the heating element is plugged into an electrical outlet in a home or locker room for several hours before the round of golf play commences, whereby the balls become warmed to a higher performance temperature. Once the balls have been warmed, the devices are unplugged and taken onto the golf course, whereafter the warmed balls are removed for play and no further heating occurs. Similar electrical resistance warming devices are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,683,155, issued to Loofbourow, and in U.S. Pat. No. 3,831,001, issued to Toomey.
A principal drawback of golf ball heating devices which rely on electrical resistance heating elements is that such devices are not self-contained, and therefore do not provide for true portability of use. Even though the devices can be disconnected from the electrical outlet to allow them to be carried onto a golf course, they do not allow for continued heating of balls during a round of play. Thus, although the above devices typically provide an insulated warming chamber, the pre-heated balls begin to cool off soon after the warming devices are disconnected. Moreover, due to space and weight limitations only a limited number of golf balls can be pre-heated before a round of play. Therefore, the available supply of pre-heated balls can easily be exhausted before an extended round of play ends.
At least one prior art device attempts to overcome the problems of limited capacity and cooling which attend the use of electrical resistance golf ball warming devices. In particular, the warming device described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,828,165, issued to Collins, relies on the motive system of a golf cart to heat golf balls housed in cylindrical tubes thermally connected to the motive system. With the Collins device, balls may be continuously warmed during a round of play, and the capacity of the warming tubes is not limited by the portability considerations which attend the use of manually transported devices. However, the Collins device does not address the needs of the majority of golfers who do not use motorized golf carts, and must therefore depend on portable ball warming devices.
Only one golf ball warming device yet developed can be characterized as semi-portable, in that it offers a partially self-contained heating design. U.S. Pat. No. 3,683,155, issued to Loofbourow, shows a golf ball warming device employing a pocket warmer type, liquid fuel heating source. The Loofbourow device includes a pie-shaped container enclosing a circular trough which holds a number of golf balls to be heated, and a combustible, liquid fuel heat source underlying the trough for heating the trough and warming the balls held therein.
Although the Loofbourow device may be characterized as partially self-contained and semi-portable, its usefulness for extended, cold weather golf play is limited. Whereas the device may allow for some continued heating of balls during play, it is generally intended for prolonged pre-warming of balls before a round of play commences. The heat source of the Loofbourow device is a manually ignited, liquid fuel-soaked heating pad, which is non-disposable and must be recharged prior to each use. Recharging the pad is generally time consuming and messy, and may involve hazardous exposure of the user to caustic, flammable fuel. This lack of full self-containment makes the device poorly suited for continued warming of golf balls during an extended round of play, because recharging the pad during play is generally undesireable.
Moreover, the Loofbourow device is designed to provide only a single warming treatment of golf balls loaded into the device in one, bulk transfer. Accordingly, all of the balls are heated together until play begins, after which time the balls are removed individually while play continues, until the stock of prewarmed balls is exhausted. Consequently, in view of the space and weight limitations inherent in portable golf ball warming devices, the exhaustion of warmed balls can readily occur before an extended round of play ends.
In view of the above, a need exists in the golfing industry for a golf ball warming device which is portable and self-contained and which provides for continuous warming of golf balls during an extended round of cold weather golf play.
An additional need exists for a portable golf ball warming device which provides a sufficient supply of warmed golf balls throughout an extended round of cold weather golf play, without relying on extensive pre-heating or a heavily insulated design.
A further need exists for a golf ball warming device which utilizes a self-contained heat source that obviates the hazards and inconveniences of manually ignited, rechargeable, liquid fuel heating pads.